"The Justice Department is pursuing court orders to force Apple Inc. to help investigators extract data from iPhones in about a dozen undisclosed cases around the country, in disputes similar to the current battle over a terrorist’s locked phone, according to people familiar with the matter.
The other phones are at issue in cases where prosecutors have sought, as in the San Bernardino, Calif., terror case, to use an 18th-century law called the All Writs Act to compel the company to help them bypass the passcode security feature of phones that may hold evidence, these people said.
The specifics of the roughly dozen cases haven’t been disclosed publicly, but they don’t involve terrorism charges, these people said."
Well, that didn't take long.
Comey Lied.
Don't you like how Bill opens his mouth and now this? Think he will offer a, "well, now I disagree" response?
I guess the FBI has already the technology to access the iPhone (remember, the passcode has been changed since the shooting, and the phone was in their possession). But they never will admit they can do it. But they need Apple to make it look official and a judge to make it look legal.
Thank you Tim!! This is ridiculous the FBI/DoJ is using a mass-murder terror attack as a publicity stunt to force something they have yet to get through legislation rather than just quietly requesting that info out like they should have done day one, no mention to the press needed.
They are just using this as an opportunity to get press. It's disgusting and I will probably never touch another Apple product as a result. What they're doing makes me sick.
Fixed that for you. Had to strike through the option of not using the FBI/DoJ because I don't get a choice if they ever come to call.
However, in response to your publicity stunt comment, which the FBI/DoJ also claimed, you couldn't be more wrong. Apple wanted this case sealed so it wouldn't go public. It is the FBI that refused and made this public. Think about that for a minute
Thank you Bill!! This is ridiculous Apple is using a mass-murder terror attack as a publicity stunt to show off their IPhone security- rather than just quietly getting that info out like they should have done day one, no mention to the press needed.
They are just using this as an opportunity to get press. It's disgusting and I will probably never touch another Apple product as a result. What they're doing makes me sick.
This is the guy who presided over the most insecure mass market product ever, until Android. It's clear Security was never important to him or he never understood how it works. If he did they would solved that problem.
I admire Bill Gates' willingness to invest billions of dollars to help eradicate diseases from third world countries. Perhaps he can pony up some cold hard cash to fight the infectious disease of uncontrolled hubris that has spread like a virus through the ranks of the US government, law enforcement, and Donald Trump.
I believe there are many naive people who truly don't understand what the FBI is actually trying to do in this case. It's natural for these folks to look sympathetically upon the victims and get drawn into the FBI's tactic of setting an expectation that opening up the Pandora's box of privacy and security is somehow going to provide relief to the victims' families and prevent future tragedies from occurring. Truth is, they are taking a wild shot in the dark with a very high probability of coming up totally empty. The perpetrators of the crime purposely destroyed everything that they felt contained any trace evidence so I'd say they had a pretty good clue that a company-issued phone was probably not seen as a place to document their nefarious deeds.
The FBI is plucking at the heartstrings of sympathy, empathy, and public sentiment. I completely understand the emotion in the victims' families and compassion of the public at large. But what's disturbing are the FBI, public officials, and knowledgable people like Bill Gates who do understand the long term technical and legal issues at hand, know exactly what the FBI is truly trying to accomplish, clearly see the exploitive and manipulative nature of what's occurring with sympathetic and empathetic tactics, yet still allow themselves to be played by raw emotions rather than logic.
So I guess it's time for Bill Gates to reissue his famous email and call to action and add a caveat to the bottom stating that all of the goals expressed above do not apply in the case where the FBI comes a-calling with a court order. May as well remove the Security and Privacy paragraphs and reissue the memo as "Semi Trustworthy Computing" or perhaps "Trustworthy Computing with a Government Backdoor."
Microsoft founder Bill Gates said he disagrees with Apple's decision to not provide the FBI with a software workaround that breaks iOS, and instead sides with a narrow reading of the government's request for assistance that supposedly precludes wider dissemination of the as-yet-uncreated expoit.
Source: Forbes
Gates weighed in on the hot button topic on Tuesday, telling the Financial Times that technology companies, including Apple, should comply with government requests for assistance pertaining to investigations into terrorist activity. Further, he disputes Apple's claims that the creation of a so-called backdoor would set precedent both for the Justice Department and international state players looking to get their hands on consumer data.
"This is a specific case where the government is asking for access to information. They are not asking for some general thing, they are asking for a particular case," Gates said. "It is no different than [the question of] should anybody ever have been able to tell the phone company to get information, should anybody be able to get at bank records. Let's say the bank had tied a ribbon round the disk drive and said 'don't make me cut this ribbon because you'll make me cut it many times'."
The U.S. Department of Justice, as well as FBI Director James Comey and the White House, argue much the same, noting the requested software workaround would be limited to an iPhone 5c used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Ryzwan Farook. A federal magistrate judge last week ordered Apple comply with FBI requests to assist in the unlocking of Farook's iPhone, which is currently protected by a passcode.
For its part, Apple and CEO Tim Cook contend that the mere existence of a proof-of-concept exploit inherently weakens iOS safeguards, which is why the company is pushing back in court. Apple has been working with law enforcement officials on the San Bernardino case since January, and in doing so provided iCloud backups associated with Farook's device.
Despite a cavalcade of tech industry bigwigs coming out in support of Apple, a Pew Research Center poll on Monday showed a majority of respondents side with the government. It is unclear if the poll group understood the underlying digital security issues, as 51 percent of respondents said Apple should "unlock the iPhone."
The situation is made more confusing with the DOJ's side campaign for public opinion. It came out over the weekend that U.S. Attorney Eileen Decker and San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos asked a California lawyer Stephen Larson to file an amicus brief on behalf of the government. Larson's filing represents an unknown number of victims and families affected by the San Bernardino attack.
His views ought to instil great confidence in users of Microsoft's products. Why wait for a court order with an attitude like that, just grant total access to the FBI, NSA, and all the other 3-fucking-letter acronyms of gubmint for anything they desire, hell, devote a portion of your development team to them to do whatever the hell they please, turn a blind eye, and then consider yourself the beacon of morality and ethics that your prove yourself to be over and over again.
We're in the midst of a war on privacy with government and ignorant citizenry who are duped and propagandised to be on the wrong side, an issue predicted by the most prescient Sam Seaborn who, in 1999, said,
"...it's about the next 20 years. In the '20s and '30s it was the role of government. '50s and '60s it was civil rights. The next two decades are going to be privacy. I'm talking about the Internet. I'm talking about cell phones. I'm talking about health records and who's gay and who's not. And moreover, in a country born on the will to be free, what could be more fundamental than this?"
Sadly, the only thing I think he was wrong about that prediction was its timeframe for resolution, I fear we may be in for at least another decade of this crap (or more<sigh>).
Fuck Bill Gates, he's wrong, but then, when was he ever on the right side of anything but his own self-serving, "me make money from Windows, ooh ooh, and now me make money from Monsanto" ego.
It is simple. It is one thing to ask Apple to hand over data/information they have; it is totally different to ask Apple to create something new for the government. Apple is a private company, it is not owned or associated with the government. It is a shame for the government to order it in the first place and it is a even more shame that a judge signed the order. Security and privacy is secondary to this point. FBI should work with CIA and NSA to find ways to crack the phone, and do whatever that are legally to protect us against terrorists. But please leave Apple alone.
If Windows phones were as successful as iPhone or android than Bill Gates would have taken Apple's side. Moreover, his company Microsoft had inflicted so much pain to users for keeping Windows software so insecure that it was haven for Viruses,Malware,Trozan,etc letting anyone steal your credentials, private info from your windows computer..
i find it insensitive for the victims of the families involved in the tragedy that apple are such jerks to capitalize on the situation to advocate for free speech.. Just take the freakin' iPhone from FBI unlock it and give it back to them
So right!!!! There is no reason the government should not have access any info they want. Its their right. They need to protect us at all costs. I mean I'm in stalling cameras EVERYWHERE in my house and giving the FBI access to them. I have nothing to hide, and who knows they just might catch some postal worker and other person picking their nose.
John673, I have some extra cameras. give me your address and I'll come over and we can install them in your place. You have nothing to hide right?
I guess the FBI has already the technology to access the iPhone (remember, the passcode has been changed since the shooting, and the phone was in their possession). But they never will admit they can do it. But they need Apple to make it look official and a judge to make it look legal.
The passcode was not changed. It was the Apple ID password that the terrorist employer was able to change (at the request of the FBI) since it was a work phone, and employer had access to their work email. They just used the apples request new apple ID password website.
The passcode is unique to the device and is not stored anywhere other than the phone.
The issue isn't whether Apple can or cannot open the iPhone with a hack. The issue is if the US gov't makes apple do it, then so will China, Russia, India, EU, Brazil, and so on. So why doesn't everyone with an Android, iPhone, or other smart phone just post their name, address, SSN and credit cards online. The other problem is even if they get inside they could be using another encrypted application that still won't reveal any information, but damage is done.
Comments
However, in response to your publicity stunt comment, which the FBI/DoJ also claimed, you couldn't be more wrong. Apple wanted this case sealed so it wouldn't go public. It is the FBI that refused and made this public. Think about that for a minute
http://www.engadget.com/2016/02/23/justice-department-wants-12-more-iphone-backdoors/
I believe there are many naive people who truly don't understand what the FBI is actually trying to do in this case. It's natural for these folks to look sympathetically upon the victims and get drawn into the FBI's tactic of setting an expectation that opening up the Pandora's box of privacy and security is somehow going to provide relief to the victims' families and prevent future tragedies from occurring. Truth is, they are taking a wild shot in the dark with a very high probability of coming up totally empty. The perpetrators of the crime purposely destroyed everything that they felt contained any trace evidence so I'd say they had a pretty good clue that a company-issued phone was probably not seen as a place to document their nefarious deeds.
The FBI is plucking at the heartstrings of sympathy, empathy, and public sentiment. I completely understand the emotion in the victims' families and compassion of the public at large. But what's disturbing are the FBI, public officials, and knowledgable people like Bill Gates who do understand the long term technical and legal issues at hand, know exactly what the FBI is truly trying to accomplish, clearly see the exploitive and manipulative nature of what's occurring with sympathetic and empathetic tactics, yet still allow themselves to be played by raw emotions rather than logic.
This is not the Bill Gates that sent out one of the most important call to action emails ever: http://www.wired.com/2002/01/bill-gates-trustworthy-computing/
So I guess it's time for Bill Gates to reissue his famous email and call to action and add a caveat to the bottom stating that all of the goals expressed above do not apply in the case where the FBI comes a-calling with a court order. May as well remove the Security and Privacy paragraphs and reissue the memo as "Semi Trustworthy Computing" or perhaps "Trustworthy Computing with a Government Backdoor."
We're in the midst of a war on privacy with government and ignorant citizenry who are duped and propagandised to be on the wrong side, an issue predicted by the most prescient Sam Seaborn who, in 1999, said,
"...it's about the next 20 years. In the '20s and '30s it was the role of government. '50s and '60s it was civil rights. The next two decades are going to be privacy. I'm talking about the Internet. I'm talking about cell phones. I'm talking about health records and who's gay and who's not. And moreover, in a country born on the will to be free, what could be more fundamental than this?"
Sadly, the only thing I think he was wrong about that prediction was its timeframe for resolution, I fear we may be in for at least another decade of this crap (or more<sigh>).
Fuck Bill Gates, he's wrong, but then, when was he ever on the right side of anything but his own self-serving, "me make money from Windows, ooh ooh, and now me make money from Monsanto" ego.
John673, I have some extra cameras. give me your address and I'll come over and we can install them in your place. You have nothing to hide right?
It it sets a precedent, Bill. Just like Roe v Wade.
The passcode is unique to the device and is not stored anywhere other than the phone.
Breaking news: Cook agrees to weaken iOS on this iphone because Comey pinky swears to not request it again.